Effective Fire and Life Safety Director

Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Effective Fire and Life Safety Director?

Fire safety is a major concern in New York City, and it requires more than just rapid response from firefighters. In a city as large as NYC, protecting lives and property requires a coordinated effort by professional firefighters, emergency responders, and on-site fire safety experts. In fact, the Fire and Life Safety Director’s job is a critical part of preventing or responding to fires in buildings throughout the city. If you’ve been considering a job in this vital field, however, it’s important to understand just a few of the traits all effective fire and life safety directors share.

Understand the Traits of Effective Fire and Life Safety Directors

Reliability and Discipline

The Fire and Life Safety Director position is one that requires diligence and a disciplined approach to managing people and tasks. Are you someone who has the discipline to follow through on projects until they’re completed? Can you be counted on in a crisis, and manage to remain level-headed even in the most chaotic of situations? That reliability and discipline could mean the difference between life and death when fires or other emergencies occur.

Commitment to Protecting Others

The best safety directors have a deep commitment to protecting people and property. They want to be on the frontlines when trouble strikes, because they are driven to do all that they can to preserve life and keep people safe. If you share that commitment, this career may be ideal for you.

Organizational Skills

When disasters happen, organized responses get the best results. That’s why you don’t see disorganized firefighters or Fire and Life Safety Directors; they understand that organization is critical for dealing with chaotic situations. If you value an orderly response to chaos, then you have one of the key skills needed for the fire safety director job.

Strategic Thinking

Of course, all the organization in the world won’t matter if you don’t have a solid plan in place before emergencies occur. Part of the fire safety director’s job is to prepare strategies to deal with fire, man-made emergencies, natural disasters, and even medical situations. Can you think strategically and develop well-oiled plans for responding in a crisis?

Solid Communication Skills

As a Fire and Life Safety Director, you would be responsible for training other safety staff and building occupants to ensure that they understand your emergency response plans. You will need to conduct fire drills and other tests, direct the response if an emergency occurs, and communicate effectively with firefighters and other emergency responders. Solid communication skills are a must.

Command Presence

Finally, the best fire and life safety personnel all have command presence – that elusive quality that commands respect even in the most trying of times. Do people recognize your authority without a word being spoken? Do others look to you in times of trouble? If your very presence signals your authority, then you may have what it takes to be an effective Fire and Life Safety Director.

The ISS Fire Science Institute can provide the training you need to become a Fire and Life Safety Director, and help you realize your dream of protecting lives and property. To learn more, call International Security Services today – New York City’s dedicated security experts.

Picture of George Kozhar

George Kozhar

George Kozhar is a respected security professional, licensed private investigator, and founder of International Security Services (ISS) - New York City’s dedicated security experts since 1999. Mr. Kozhar and his team provide a full array of private and business investigative services in the U.S. and overseas, VIP executive protection, armed and unarmed security guard services and training, and Fire and Life Safety Director training through the company’s Fire Science Institute.

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August 10th, 2022

Property Security Evaluation Report

Your Individualized Property Evaluation Report

Your site’s individualized property evaluation report contains information and analysis that you need to properly manage your site’s security needs. That information includes detailed analysis of the crime rate in your area, site access and parking protocols, and existing security infrastructure. Interior inspection includes analysis of emergency exits, fire suppression capabilities, and alarm infrastructure for emergencies. Exterior inspection includes analysis of structural defects, property lighting, and potential vulnerabilities in building access.

In addition to those inspections, our analysis also considered environmental factors, potential risks from older trees, outside property maintenance, and nearby crime that may overflow to the area. We also examined emergency response planning, including fire evacuation protocols and information supplied to residents about proper evacuation process.

 

Pressing Suggestions


We highly suggest a camera placement along this driveway, as the overhead cameras in the back parking lot may not capture all makes, models, and license plates of cars entering in and out based on the angle they are recording from. The best camera placement would be at the green circle closest to the sidewalk/street.
The common area is easily accessible, but based on the angle that cameras are set at the front lot, anyone can enter the basement common area concealing the side of their face that is facing the camera. This is not to say that the camera arrangement should be changed, but it is highly recommended to have coverage in this common area as the common area is on a lower floor not visible from the sidewalk.


However, a few fundamental problems exist when it comes to access control of the back parking (a big territory). Even though only two issues have ever occurred there, the wide-open access point to that lot may need to be corrected sooner than later as there is a significant uptick in crime in the 62nd precinct.

Furthermore, there are two fundamental surveillance blind spots along the driveway leading to the back parking lot and every common area.

Lastly, however unlikely it may seem, tenants should have resources and a physical guide for situations that may require an evacuation. Whether it be a flood or fire, each tenant should know how to use a fire extinguisher and where to evacuate to during a flood regardless of their proximity to a shoreline.


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